


we're not promised tomorrow

by icyvanity



Series: Pynch Week 2016 [4]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Angst, Hospitals, Injury, M/M, Pain, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-07 12:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7715623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyvanity/pseuds/icyvanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pynch Week Day 4: "I thought I lost you"/"I'm begging you"</p>
            </blockquote>





	we're not promised tomorrow

Adam’s ear was ringing when he came to. He really hoped that he wouldn’t lose his hearing permanently in that one as well; one was difficult enough to navigate through the tiers of higher education with. Adam brought a hand up—slowly, like he was moving through water—to feel the side of his head, and the dampness there. Pulling his hand away, he realized blood was trickling out of his ear. He checked the other side; it was bleeding too.

Adam shook his head in attempts to clear the fog muddling his brain, but that only made the pounding in his head worse. Blinking blearily, he looked up from his stained fingers into a world of color and light. He’d forgotten; it was the Fourth of July, and Kavinsky’s pack of dogs still knew how to party without their alpha.

* * *

Ronan’s driving was more dangerous than usual—swerving and swearing while Gansey sat worried in the passenger seat. Henry had driven Blue home, despite her protests that Adam was her friend too; she’d realized that she would be no help to him crying as she was, and sent Ronan and Gansey on their way. Ronan pulled into the hospital parking lot and pulled messily into a spot before jumping out of the car.

“Ronan, wait—” Gansey called out, running to catch up with Ronan as he sprinted into the hospital. Ronan ground to a stop, and Gansey ran into his back so hard he had to fling an arm out to Ronan to keep from falling. He could feel Ronan shaking, hands balled into fists. Gansey looked up and his heart dropped.

Adam’s parents were sitting in the waiting area of the hospital, his father glaring at Ronan and his mother looking at them with disdain.

“Ronan,” Gansey said quietly, not meeting their eyes. “ _Ronan_ , let’s go over to the desk. We can figure it out.” Ronan didn’t move when Gansey tried maneuvering him away from the waiting area, and Gansey dig his fingers into Ronan’s biceps. “If you cause a scene, they will kick you out of this hospital and you will not get to see Adam.”

Ronan took a step towards the desk; Gansey breathed a sigh of relief. Ronan crossed his arms to keep them from shaking and glared in the direction of Adam’s estranged parents as Gansey worked his magic on the attending nurse.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the nurse said—and she really did look apologetic to be turning Gansey down, “but only family is allowed in.”

Gansey glanced over at Ronan. He lowered his voice so only the three of them could hear. “I’m begging you, miss. Adam is our close friend and he would not wake up well to the sight of his abusive father—who he went up against in court and lost. I know you wouldn’t want your own son to be put in a situation like that, where he couldn’t escape.”

The woman’s face contorted with pity—something Adam would hate to see directed at him. She glanced around and gestured for them to follow her. “You can stay up there until he wakes up, but then he has to tell us whether you’re allowed in there or not. This is only because it’s an abuse case—as you said.”

A litany of gratitude fell from Gansey’s lips as he and Ronan followed the woman down the hall, ignoring the outraged cries of Robert Parrish. Gansey hesitated outside of the door as the woman led Ronan inside, noticing how Ronan froze in the doorway; he decided leaving Ronan and Adam alone for a while wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Ronan finally figured out how to move his limbs again, tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to the chair by Adam’s bed.  He grasped one of Adam’s hands in both of his own, pressing them to his lips. He pulled away an inch to speak. “Is he going to be okay?” Ronan asked, voice cracking on the last word.

The nurse lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing it before she spoke. “He’s going to be just fine. We thought there might be some brain damage due to bleeding of the ears, but it seemed to just be due to proximity to that firework. The explosion combined with the light sent him unconscious, but he should be waking up soon.” Ronan took a shaky breath, and the nurse took this as her cue to leave.

Ronan shouldn’t have dragged Adam to the party. He’d thought that since Kavinsky had died years ago, that things would be different. How wrong he had been. While he didn’t think there was any malicious intent behind the firework as there would have been with K, someone had drunkenly set one off right behind Adam. It was a surprise he was still all in one piece.

“Hey.”

Adam’s voice startled Ronan from his own thoughts, and he inched closer to Adam.

“Hey,” he replied softly, wide eyes meeting Adam’s hooded ones.

“What’s the damage?” Adam asked.

Ronan smiled. “You’ll live.”

“What a relief.”

Ronan glanced down at their hands, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Hey,” Adam said again, his free hand reaching to trace Ronan’s jaw. “I’m okay.”

“I thought I lost you,” Ronan blurted out, eyes snapping back up to meet Adam’s.

“I’m right here,” Adam said, brushing his thumb across Ronan’s cheek. It was then that the nurse and Gansey made their entrance, though the latter blushed bright red at the scene before him. Ronan and Adam ignored them for a little while longer.

**Author's Note:**

> [read on tumblr](http://lady-gryffindor.tumblr.com/post/149060221528/pynch-week-day-4)


End file.
